Starbucks files patents in Russia to try to safeguard its trademarks, 2 years after leaving the country

• Starbucks filed eight new trademark applications in Russia, according to reports.
• The company exited Russia in 2022 after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 
• The move has fueled speculation, but it could simply be a strategy to safeguard expiring patents.

Starbucks has filed multiple trademark patents in Russia in an apparent attempt to protect its brand there, according to reports.

The coffee chain submitted eight new trademark applications on Russia's federal intellectual property service, Russian business news outlet Vedomosti reported.